Problems and Their Solutions in a Multicultural ...

Journal of Education and Training Studies

Vol. 6, No. 7; July 2018

ISSN 2324-805X E-ISSN 2324-8068

Published by Redfame Publishing

URL:

Problems and Their Solutions in a Multicultural Environment According to

Pre-service Social Studies Teachers

Sevgi Co?kun Keskin

Correspondence: Sevgi Co?kun Keskin, Faculty of Education, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey.

Received: May 25, 2018

doi:10.11114/jets.v6i7.3292

Accepted: June 22, 2018

Online Published: June 27, 2018

URL:

Abstract

Multiculturalism that is a natural consequence of the phenomenon of globalization is a reality that nations cannot ignore

nowadays. The social studies course is of special importance at the point of multicultural education. Therefore, there is

a need to educate teachers who will teach this lesson consciously and sensitively. This study was conducted to describe

problems in a multicultural environment and solution proposals to them based on the discourses of pre-service social

studies teachers. The phenomenological approach among qualitative research methods was used in the study. A

semi-structured interview form was applied to 110 pre-service social studies teachers. As a result of the coding

performed by taking expert opinions, it was determined that the vast majority of the pre-service teachers attributed

meanings such as multinational population, the diversity of cultural values, and different races, languages, religions and

ethnic structures to multiculturalism. At the point of problems in a multicultural environment, it was observed that they

emphasized conflict, social differentiation and division, assimilation, constraints, difficulty of communication and

cultural erosion. In the solution of these problems, they suggested regarding differences as wealth and providing

education that contains multicultural values.

Keywords: multiculturalism, pre-service social studies teachers, problems and their solutions in a multicultural

environment

1. Introduction

Social scientists tried to explain social, political, cultural and economic changes and transformations in the late 20th

century with different concepts. Globalization has undoubtedly become the most popular and widely accepted concept

among these concepts (K?z?l?elik, 2003). Globalization means the spread of an incident or a meta in many or all parts of

the world (Alp & Kahraman, 2001). Towards the end of the 20th century, many activities such as communication,

finance, trade, and sports competitions have gained an international character. Within the scope of these activities,

people from different countries come together and exchange goods, services and ideas (Toulmin, 1999).

At the beginning of the 21st century, globalization has become a phenomenon that societies can no longer ignore, and

now it is everywhere (Balay, 2004; K?z?l?elik, 2003; Y?lmaz & Horzum, 2005). Along with globalization, concepts of

the new world order, postmodernism and neo-liberalism are also used. These concepts have close meanings, of which

the most popular is undoubtedly globalization (K?z?l?elik, 2003). This new period/concept named by some individuals

as post-modern and by McLuhan as a ¨Dglobal village¡¬ is a reality that affects the lives of all of us, both in a good and

bad way, regardless of whether we agree with it or not (Kenan, 2009).

In our globalizing world, a new understanding of politics has emerged on identity. In this new understanding of politics,

groups that claim to be different in the society ask for the recognition of their identities in order to preserve and maintain

their differences (Ba?bay & Bekta?, 2009). The name of this recognition policy is multiculturalism. This concept was born

with the adoption of policies that the Australian and Canadian governments, which are two countries that let in immigrants

at the beginning of the 1970s, called multiculturalism policies to encourage the cultural diversity of indigenous peoples and

immigrants. In the next decade, it spread to English-speaking democratic countries (the United States of America, Great

Britain, New Zealand), and then to Europe and Latin America (Doytcheva, 2005). Therefore, multiculturalism reflects a

recognition policy that approves the together living of different cultures in a society (Canatan, 2009; Y?ld?r?m, 2002). It is

observed that there is diversity in the definitions made for this concept (Fish, 1998; Kymlicka, 1998). The main reason for

this diversity is that multiculturalism is a concept that is the subject of many different disciplines from sociology to politics,

and from philosophy to education (Ghosh, 2018; Yaz?c?, Ba?ol & Toprak; 2009).

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Vol. 6, No. 7; July 2018

The APA (2002) defines multiculturalism as the awareness of cultural dimensions such as race, language, sexual

preference, religious orientation, education. According to Banks (2009), multiculturalism means becoming aware of

race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, social class, education, religious orientation and

other cultural dimensions. According to Erdo?an (1999: 195), multiculturalism is ¨Da political and social system

expressing that there is no problem in the together living of different cultural traditions, regardless of their cultural

origin, based on the principle of equality.¡¬ By definition, all societies are multicultural. A society is composed of

individuals of different genders, social classes, religions of which practices and sources are different, and who differ by

their local and regional qualities due to their origins (Schnapper, 2001). In the simplest terms, multiculturalism is a

concept that means cultural diversity, pluralism, and richness (?zensel, 2013).

Multiculturalism has a two-dimensional structure within itself. The first one of these dimensions is to define differences,

while the other one is to value differences (Ba?l? & ?zensel, 2005). The first dimension refers to a large number of

ethnic and cultural groups within the society. Here, these groups are only defined. The other dimension is based not on

the composition of the population of different ethnic individuals, but the regulation of the relationship between these

individuals (Ba?bay & Bekta?, 2009). Considering the present day, in particular, the problems related to the first

dimension have almost disappeared. Nearly all countries have accepted their ethnic and cultural diversity. However, it is

difficult to say that harmony between these diversities is established in every country. In any case, multiculturalism

adopts the conception of preserving and sustaining different cultural values. Nevertheless, criticism and debates about

multiculturalism also continue. Bauman (2001) describes multicultural politics as full of noise and anger.

Multiculturalism encompasses different forms of cultural pluralism, each of which presents its own challenge. From

past to present, almost all societies have been somehow multicultural. Societies sometimes recognized this cultural

diversity, sometimes ignored it, and sometimes tried to standardize it (Bar?n, 2016). In the process of building a

nation-state, one culture was brought to the forefront while other cultures were left aside (Timur, 2001; ?stel, 2011).

The biggest problems are encountered in the nation-state structure. While the nation-state builds itself on the ideal of the

homogeneity of the nation, its reaction to differences in the society has brought about the strictest practices in the

history. This has brought the idea of raising a single type of citizens who have received the same education in the same

nation-state process. When considered for the present day, the nation-state project faces a serious challenge. This

challenge sometimes referred to as multiculturalism and sometimes as the policy of multiculturalism, emphasizes the

phenomenon of diversity that disturbs uniqueness, uniformity, unity, and partnership in the society (Canatan, 2009).

In recent years, it has been observed that the concept of multicultural education plays an important role in studies on

education. The concept of multicultural education was introduced at the beginning of the 1970s. In multicultural

education, it is aimed that all students have equal opportunity in education without being discriminated by race, ethnic

identity, social class or gender (Banks, 2001). Gay (1994) states that the definitions of multicultural education differ and

that multicultural education is used in twelve different meanings when the relevant literature is examined. According to

Santrock (2001), multicultural education is to be based on different values of cultural groups and to put an emphasis on

cultural diversity. According to Banks (2009), multicultural education means the acceptance of differences such as age,

sexual preference, social class, ethnicity, religion, language and cultural characteristics and approaching these

differences based on love, respect, and tolerance. The aim of this kind of education is to respect students from different

religions, races, and with different languages and identities and to enrich the education and training process by

transferring these traits to education. Multicultural education is against raising a single type of individual and imposing

a single culture. Multicultural education is a system of education in which individuals, who think freely, question, know

their own culture, criticize themselves, respect different ideas and ways of life, and consider differences as richness, are

raised (Polat & K?l??, 2013).

Multicultural education is a completely student-focused system. Since it is student-based education, the aim of

multicultural education and the nature of the education to be given may vary from country to country. Each country

shapes multicultural education according to its unique historical, sociological and political structure (A??kal?n, 2010;

Polat, 2009; Yaz?c?, Ba?ol & Toprak, 2009). The first practices of multicultural education emerged in the USA. The

USA started to practise multicultural education by adding a lesson on multiculturalism to programs. Subsequently,

multicultural education programs were put into practice in multinational and multicultural countries such as Canada,

Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom besides the USA (G¨¹ven, 2005).

Turkey has a cultural mosaic in which people from different ethnic origins (Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Laz, Circassian)

live together. Furthermore, languages such as Kurdish, Laz, and Romaic are spoken as a mother tongue, in addition to

Turkish, and it is known that the same diversity is also present in relation to religious beliefs. This cultural structure is

quite different from other countries (like the USA and Canada). The countries in question have a very rich ethnic,

cultural, religious and linguistic diversity due to immigration (Canatan, 2009). When it is considered for Turkey in

particular, the reason for diversity is not immigration, it is the elements that have lived together from past to present.

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?zensel (2013) describes this cultural structure/diversity as a rope culture. Thousands of cultures/strings making up the

rope are thin, weak and vulnerable on their own. When these cultures/strings come together in the form of ivy, they

form a sturdy and strong rope. This sturdy rope itself is the strong cultural structure in Turkey.

When the cultural policies maintained since the declaration of the Republic are examined, it is observed that the

nation-state understanding was preserved until recently (C?r?k, 2008; Keskin, 2008; ?stel, 2011). This situation has

created an environment that is closed to cultural diversity. The concept of multicultural education, which can be

considered as a fairly new concept for Turkey, has not been fully understood. Upon looking at Turkey in the context of

multicultural education, it is observed that there are certain problems in this respect. The most significant ones of these

problems are the incorrect perception of the society, and the negative effects created by laws and previous practices

(Polat & K?l??, 2013). Certain researchers even say that our country may be divided and the unitary state structure may

be disrupted with multicultural education practices (C?r?k, 2008).

In Turkey, a significant part of the knowledge, skills, and values related to social life is attempted to be given to students

through the Social Studies course (?zt¨¹rk, 2006; Safran, 2008). One of the most important aims of this course, which is

considered as a tool in citizenship education, is to raise active citizens who have adopted multicultural understanding

(Danker, 2003; ?zt¨¹rk & Deveci, 2011; Welton & Mallon, 1999). Therefore, the social studies course has special

importance at the point of multicultural education. In certain previous studies (A??kal?n, 2010; Aslan, 2017; Arslan,

2016; C?r?k, 2008; Ert¨¹rk, 2006; Keskin, 2008; Keskin & Yaman, 2014; Polat, 2009; ?im?ek, 2007), it was determined

that multicultural education is emphasised in the curriculum and course books of the Social Studies course, published in

2005 in Turkey. Based on this, it can be said that multicultural education has been started in Turkey especially in social

studies lessons as of 2005.

Faculties of education that are institutions raising teachers in Turkey were established in 1992 (?zt¨¹rk, 1999; Aky¨¹z,

2012). The department of social studies teaching established within the faculties of education in 1997 admitted students

that year for the first time. Immediately after the report entitled ¨DRearrangement of Teacher Training Programs of

Education Faculties¡¬ published by the Y?K (Council of Higher Education) in 1998, the social studies teaching program

was also renewed together with other teaching areas (Y?K, 1998). These renewed programs have continued to be used

in faculties of education to this day. As mentioned above, the transition to multicultural education was realized in the

social studies program published in 2005. In parallel to this change, there has been no change in the faculty of education

social studies teaching program. Upon examining the undergraduate program in this field, it is clear observed that there

is no lesson for multicultural education (Polat & K?l??, 2013; Y?lmaz, 2016). Furthermore, it was determined in previous

studies conducted on both teachers and pre-service teachers in Turkey that there are deficiencies and mistakes both in

terms of the perception and implementation of the concept of multicultural education in common (Demircio?lu &

?zdemir, 2014).

As explained above, the social studies course is very important for multicultural education, and the transition to

multicultural education was realized with the 2005 curriculum of this course. For this reason, it is important to

determine the opinions of pre-service teachers who will teach this lesson on problems in the multicultural educational

environment. The answers to the following questions were sought in the study:

1.

What are the meanings attributed by pre-service social studies teachers to the concept of multiculturalism?

2.

What are the problems in a multicultural environment according to pre-service social studies teachers?

3.

What are the suggestions of pre-service social studies teachers for solving the problems in a multicultural

environment?

2. Method

This study was conducted with the phenomenological approach among qualitative research methods. Phenomenology aims

to provide an in-depth understanding of the meaning or nature of our everyday experiences (Patton, 2014). It is to try to

understand the individual meaning-structures (opinions and views) and intentions of individuals from their point-of-view.

Therefore, phenomenology generally directs to the inner world and consciousness structures of individuals in human

sciences. The main purpose of the analysis is to grasp the existence and the essence of things. As a phenomenon in this

study, the opinions of pre-service social studies teachers who will compare individuals with the multiculturalism

phenomenon were determined on problems and solution proposals to them in a multicultural environment.

2.1 Participant Group

Easily accessible case sampling among purposeful sampling methods was used in the study. 110 pre-service social

studies teachers studying at a university in Turkey participated in the study on a voluntary basis. 61 of the participants

are female, and 49 are male.

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2.2 Data Collection Tool, Process, and Analysis

The data collection and analysis process consisted of seven stages, namely, the preparation for creating interview

questions, preparation of a semi-structured interview form, data collection, data review, data coding, data theming, and

reporting. At the first stage, three pre-service teachers were interviewed about multiculturalism in order to prepare the

data collection tool, and these were recorded. At the second stage, the main questions to be asked were selected from the

interview analyzed, and a semi-structured interview form was created. In the data collection process, which is the third

stage, the volunteer pre-service teachers were given a form, and it was ensured that they answered the questions in the

form in approximately 60 minutes. Then, general codes were provided by reviewing the data and interview forms a few

times, and the codes that are in a close framework to each other were themed. In this context, the ways of content

analysis were followed when analyzing the data because themes/categories were achieved from the codes obtained in

accordance with the research questions (Y?ld?r?m & ?im?ek, 2011).

2.3 Validity and Reliability

To ensure the internal validity of the study, expert opinions were taken in coding and theming. Purposeful sampling was

used for external validity. Furthermore, examples of the themes are given in the findings by sticking to the original, in

accordance with the detailed description principle. The personal information of the pre-service teachers was not taken

while the data were collected to ensure reliability. Therefore, it was attempted to make them give more sincere answers.

3. Results

The findings obtained from the interview form applied to pre-service teachers are presented below under three headings

in accordance with the research questions. The first heading includes meanings attributed to the concept of

multiculturalism by pre-service teachers, the second heading includes their opinions on the problems in the

multicultural environment, and the last heading includes their suggestions for the solution of these problems.

3.1 Multiculturalism According to Pre-service Social Studies Teachers

Below is the graph of the themes achieved as a result of the analysis of the discourses of pre-service teachers on

multiculturalism.

Graph 1. Meanings attributed to the concept of multiculturalism according to pre-service social studies teachers

Upon examining Graph 1, it is observed that pre-service social studies teachers attribute meanings such as cultural

differences and diversity (99, 90%), having different values (26, 24%), differences of belief and religion (23, 21%),

different lifestyles (21, 19%), different races (21, 19%), different nations (15, 14%), different ethnic structures (14,

13%), different languages (13, 12%), different genders (1, 1%) to the concept of multiculturalism. When these meanings

that teachers attribute to the concept of multiculturalism are examined collectively, it is clearly observed that the focus

is on the concept of ¡°difference/being different¡±. The codes/student discourses and frequencies that ensure the access to

the themes given are shown in Graph 1 (Table 1).

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Vol. 6, No. 7; July 2018

Table 1. Multiculturalism codes and themes according to pre-service social studies teachers

Codes

The diversity of cultural values

The existence / co-living of individuals from different cultures

Different traditions and customs

Family culture

A multicultural society is like a garden with flowers

Meeting different cultures with migration movements

The presence of different values is richness

Each society has its own value judgment

Religious difference

Freedom of belief

Different lifestyles

Richness, abundance in a society

Different economic levels

Clothing style

Difference of mentality

Difference of the geography where people live

Race discrimination

Multi-national state

Different historical development/process

Different ethnic structure

Different languages

Different genders

N

55

25

11

5

2

1

20

6

21

2

10

5

2

2

1

1

21

10

5

14

13

1

¡ÆN

Themes

99

Cultural difference and diversity

26

Having different values

23

Differences of religion and beliefs

21

Different lifestyles

21

Different races

15

Different nations

14

13

1

Different ethnic structures

Different languages

Different genders

As can be seen in Table 1, it can be said that almost all the pre-service teachers (99, 90%) perceive multiculturalism as

cultural differences and diversity. The discourses of the students who emphasized this theme are presented below.

K1: It is quite normal for each society to have a value judgment because the geography where people live

and their socio-economic situations affect their character and thoughts. If you lie down with dogs, you will

rise up with fleas. Being multicultural and having many value judgments in the society are richness in the

name of humanity. Let us imagine that there is a value, a tradition that is valid for the whole humanity. How

terrible the world would be. Always the same understanding, the same thought. Everyone would seem to be

out of the same factory. (Cultural difference and diversity/Having different values).

K9: A multicultural society is like a garden with flowers. While a garden with flowers reminds us of flowers

of different colours and types, so are multicultural societies. Each culture represents a flower. It is more

attractive, it is always more colourful. (Cultural difference and diversity)

E28: Even the best painter of the world cannot express anything with a single colour. If he uses the white

colour only, it will be nothing better than leaving meaningless shapes on the paper. The more colours are, the

stronger the power of expression is. Societies also become more colourful and attractive when they are

multicultural. Furthermore, different social colours are together in many fields. From food to clothes.

(Cultural difference and diversity)

On the other hand, while having different values (26, 24%), different religions and beliefs (23, 21%), different lifestyles

(21, 19%), different races (21, 19%) are expressed approximately by one fifth of the study group, different nations (15,

14%), different ethnic structure (14, 13%) and different religions (13, 12%) were expressed approximately by one-tenth.

Different gender was expressed by only one individual. No emphasis was made on different socioeconomic classes.

Examples related to the subject are as follows.

K9: A multicultural society is like a garden with flowers. While a garden with flowers reminds us of flowers of different

colours and types, so are multicultural societies. Each culture represents a flower. It is more attractive, it is always more

colourful. (Having different values)

K12: As in our country, multicultural societies have many differences from their lifestyles, understanding of respect,

morality, honour, and meanings attributed to days, to beliefs. (Different lifestyles)

E14: Our country has a multicultural structure. It includes people from different ethnic backgrounds such as Armenian,

Jewish, Assyrian, etc. People from different ethnic backgrounds in our country can comfortably worship, maintain their

education, and maintain their lives in social and economic life without difficulty. (Different ethnic structures/different

beliefs)

3.2 Problems in the Multicultural Environment According to Pre-service Social Studies Teachers

According to pre-service social studies teachers, problems in the multicultural environment are mainly conflict (74,

67%), the presence of variations and divisions that disrupt the social order (72, 65%), effort of not being

assimilated/assimilating (57, 52%) formation of restrictions (24, 22%), difficulty of communication (17, 15%) and

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